The Hughes H-4 "Hercules" "The Spruce Goose" Evergreen Aviation Museum The Hughes H-4 Hercules (registration NX37602) was a prototype heavy transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft company. The aircraft made its only flight on November 2, 1947. Built from wood due to wartime raw material restrictions on the use of aluminum, it was nicknamed the "Spruce Goose" by its critics. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built, and has the largest wingspan and height of any aircraft in history. It survives in good condition at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, USA. Due to wartime restrictions on the availability of metals, the H-4 was built almost entirely of laminated birch, not spruce as its nickname suggests. The plywood and resin "Duramold" process,[1] a form of composite technology, was used in the laminated wood construction. The aircraft was considered a technological tour de force.[2] The aircraft was not finished in time for use in World War II and never advanced beyond the single prototype produced. It's Design & Development In 1942, the U.S.

Department of War was faced with the need to transport war materiel and personnel to Britain. Allied shipping in the Atlantic Ocean was suffering heavy losses to German U-boats, so a requirement was issued for an aircraft that could cross the Atlantic with a large payload. Due to wartime priorities, the design was further constrained in that the aircraft could not be made of metal. The aircraft was the brainchild of Henry J. Kaiser, who directed the Liberty ships program. He teamed with aircraft designer Howard Hughes to create what would become the largest aircraft built at that time.

When completed, it was capable of carrying 750 fully-equipped troops or one M4 Sherman tank.[3] The original designation "HK-1" reflected the Hughes and Kaiser collaboration.[2] The HK-1 contract in 1942, issued as a development contract,[4] called for three aircraft to be constructed under a two-year deadline in order to be available for the war effort.[5] Seven configurations were considered, including twin-hull and single-hull designs with combinations of four, six and eight wing-mounted engines.[6] The final design chosen was a behemoth, eclipsing any large transport then built.[4][7] To conserve metal, it would be built mostly of wood (elevators and rudder were fabric covered[8]); hence, the "Spruce Goose" moniker tagged on the aircraft by the media. It was also referred to as the Flying Lumberyard by critics.

Hughes himself detested the nickname "Spruce Goose".[9] While Kaiser had originated the "flying cargo ship" concept, he did not have an aeronautical background and deferred to Hughes and his designer, Glenn Odekirk.[7] Development dragged on, which frustrated Kaiser, who blamed delays partly on restrictions placed for the acquisition of strategic materials such as aluminum, but also placed part of the blame on Hughes' insistence on "perfection."[10] Although construction of the first HK-1 had taken place 16 months after the receipt of the development contract, Kaiser withdrew from the project.[9] Hughes continued the program on his own under the designation "H-4 Hercules" (initially identified as the HFB-1 to signify Hughes Flying Boat, First Design,[8]) signing a new government contract that now limited production to one example. Work proceeded slowly, with the result that the H-4 was not completed until well after the war was over. Click on Picture to enlarge RMS Queen Mary at Long Beach, California Hercules at Evergreen Aviation Museum A size comparison between four of the largest aircraft, and the Airbus A380-800 (pink).

News story on the Hercules Click on Picture to enlarge Wing construction for the Spruce Goose. Rearward view of the H-4's fuselage Size comparison between H-4 and a DC-3 Hughes H-4 Hercules on its maiden flight In 1947, Howard Hughes was called to testify before the Senate War Investigating Committee over the usage of government funds for the aircraft. During a Senate hearing on 6 August 1947 in the first of a series of appearances, Hughes said: ï¿½ The Hercules was a monumental undertaking. It is the largest aircraft ever built. It is over five stories tall with a wingspan longer than a football field. That's more than a city block. Now, I put the sweat of my life into this thing. I have my reputation all rolled up in it and I have stated several times that if it's a failure I'll probably leave this country and never come back. And I mean it.[11] ï¿½ Operational History During a break in the Senate hearings, Hughes returned to California to run taxi tests on the H-4.[8] On 2 November 1947, the taxi tests were begun with Hughes at the controls.

His crew included Dave Grant as co-pilot, and two flight engineers, 16 mechanics and two other flight crew. In addition, the H-4 carried seven invited guests from the press corps plus an additional seven industry representatives, for a total of 32 on board.[12] After the first two taxi runs, four reporters left to file stories, but the remaining press stayed for the final test run of the day.[13] After picking up speed on the channel facing Cabrillo Beach near Long Beach, the Hercules lifted off, remaining airborne 70 ft (21 m) off the water at a speed of 135 mph (217 km/h or 117 knots) for around a mile (1.6 km).[14] At this altitude, the aircraft was still experiencing ground effect.[15] Hughes had answered his critics and the hearings ended, but the aircraft never flew again. A full-time crew of 300 workers, all sworn to secrecy, maintained the plane in flying condition in a climate-controlled hangar.

The crew was reduced to 50 workers in 1962, and then disbanded after Hughes' death in 1976.[16] Display In 1980, the Hercules was acquired by the California Aero Club, who put the aircraft on display in a large dome adjacent to the Queen Mary exhibit in Long Beach, California. In 1988, The Walt Disney Company acquired both attractions and the associated real estate. Disney informed the California Aero club that they no longer wished to display the Hercules. After a long search for a suitable host, the California Aero Club awarded custody of the Hughes flying boat to Evergreen Aviation Museum . Under the direction of museum staff, the aircraft was disassembled and moved by barge to its current home in McMinnville, Oregon (about an hour southwest of Portland) where it has been on display since. The Flying Boat arrived in McMinnville at Evergreen International Aviation on February 27, 1993 after a 138-day, 1,055-mile trip from Long Beach. By the mid-1990s, the former Hughes Aircraft hangars, including the one that held the Hercules, were converted into sound stages.

Scenes from movies such as Titanic, What Women Want, and End of Days have been filmed in the 315,000 square foot (29,000 mï¿½) aircraft hangar where Howard Hughes created the flying boat. The hangar will be preserved as a structure eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Buildings in what is today the housing development Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California. Although the project did not move beyond the initial prototype, the H-4 Hercules was a forerunner of the massive transport aircraft of the late 20th century, such as the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy , the Antonov An-124, and the An-225 . The Hercules demonstrated that the physical and aerodynamic principles of flight are not affected by the size of the aircraft. 1000+ images about Howard hughes on Pinterest | Hercules, Katharine hepburn and Hells angels Forward Howard Hughes's H-4 Hercules - The "Spruce Goose" - It flew only once on Nov. 2, 1947. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built and has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in history.

They really weren't sure it would lift off - but it did. See More Hughes H-4 Hercules (Spruce Goose) specifications and photos Registration: NX37602 Preserved at: Evergreen Aviation Museum The Hughes H-4 Hercules, aka “Spruce Goose” (NX37602) is a prototype heavy transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft company. The aircraft made its first and only flight on November 2, 1947, and the project never advanced beyond the single example produced. Built from wood because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum and concerns about weight, its critics nicknamed it the “Spruce Goose,” despite it being made almost entirely of birch rather than spruce. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built and has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in history. It survives in good condition at the Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, Oregon, USA. Design and Development ² In 1942, the U.S. War Department was faced with the need to transport war materiel and personnel to Britain.

Allied shipping in the Atlantic Ocean was suffering heavy losses to German U-boats, so a requirement was issued for an aircraft that could cross the Atlantic with a large payload. Due to wartime priorities, the design was further constrained in that the aircraft could not be made of metal. The aircraft was the brainchild of Henry J. Kaiser, a leading Liberty ship builder. He teamed with aircraft designer Howard Hughes to create what would become the largest aircraft built at that time. It was designed to be capable of carrying 750 fully equipped troops or one M4 Sherman tank. The original designation “HK-1” reflected the Hughes and Kaiser collaboration. The HK-1 contract was issued in 1942 as a development contract and called for three aircraft to be constructed under a two-year deadline in order to be available for the war effort. Seven configurations were considered including twin-hull and single-hull designs with combinations of four, six, and eight wing-mounted engines. The final design chosen was a behemoth, eclipsing any large transport then built. To conserve metal, it would be built mostly of wood, its elevators and rudder were fabric covered; hence, the “Spruce Goose” moniker tagged on the aircraft by the media.

It was also referred to as the “Flying Lumberyard” by critics. Hughes himself detested the nickname “Spruce Goose”. While Kaiser had originated the “flying cargo ship” concept, he did not have an aeronautical Background and deferred to Hughes and his designer, Glenn Odekirk. Development dragged on, which frustrated Kaiser, who blamed delays partly on restrictions placed for the acquisition of strategic materials such as aluminum, but also placed part of the blame on Hughes' insistence on “perfection.” Although construction of the first HK-1 took place 16 months after the receipt of the development contract, Kaiser withdrew from the project. Hughes continued the program on his own under the designation “H-4 Hercules”, signing a new government contract that now limited production to one example. Work proceeded slowly, with the result that the H-4 was not completed until well after the war was over. It was built by the Hughes Aircraft Company at Hughes Airport, location of present day Playa del Rey, Los Angeles, California, employing the plywood-and-resin “Duramold” process - a form of composite technology - for the laminated wood construction, which was considered a technological tour de force.

It was shipped on streets to Pier E in Long Beach, California by a company specializing in house moving. The “Spruce Goose” was moved in three large sections consisting of the fuselage and each wing, and a fourth smaller shipment containing the tail assembly parts and other smaller assemblies. After final assembly a hangar was erected around the flying boat with a ramp to launch the H-4 into the harbor. This building became the first climate-controlled building in the United States. In 1947, Howard Hughes was called to testify before the Senate War Investigating Committee over the usage of government funds for the aircraft. During a Senate hearing on August 6, 1947 (the first of a series of appearances), Hughes said: “The Hercules was a monumental undertaking. It is the largest aircraft ever built. It is over five stories tall with a wingspan longer than a football field. That's more than a city block. Now, I put the sweat of my life into this thing. I have my reputation all rolled up in it and I have stated several times that if it's a failure I'll probably leave this country and never come Back.

And I mean it.” Operational History ² During a break in the Senate hearings, Hughes returned to California to run taxi tests on the H-4. On November 2, 1947, the taxi tests began with Hughes at the controls. His crew included Dave Grant as co-pilot, two flight engineers, Don Smith and Joe Petrali, 16 mechanics, and two other flight crew. In addition, the H-4 carried seven invited guests from the press corps and an additional seven industry representatives. Thirty-six were on board. After the first two taxi runs, four reporters left to file stories, but the remaining press stayed for the final test run of the day. After picking up speed on the channel facing Cabrillo Beach, the Hercules lifted off, remaining airborne at 70 ft (21 m) off the water and a speed of 135 miles per hour (217 km/h) for around a mile (1.6 km). At this altitude, the aircraft still experienced ground effect. Having proven to his detractors that Hughes' masterpiece was flight-worthy, thus vindicating the use of government funds, the “Spruce Goose” never flew again. Its lifting capacity and ceiling were never tested.

A full-time crew of 300 workers, all sworn to secrecy, maintained the plane in flying condition in a climate-controlled hangar. The crew was reduced to 50 workers in 1962, and then disbanded after Hughes' death in 1976. Display ² In 1980, the Hercules was acquired by the California Aero Club, which put the aircraft on display in a large dome adjacent to the Queen Mary exhibit in Long Beach, California. In 1988, The Walt Disney Company acquired both attractions and the associated real estate. Disney informed the California Aero club that it no longer wished to display the Hercules after its highly ambitious Port Disney was scrapped. After a long search for a suitable host, the California Aero Club awarded custody of the Hughes flying boat to Evergreen Aviation Museum. Under the direction of museum staff, the aircraft was disassembled and moved by barge and truck to its current home in McMinnville, Oregon, where it has been on display ever since.

The Flying Boat arrived in McMinnville on February 27, 1993 after a 138-day, 1,055-mile (1,698 km) trip from Long Beach. By the mid-1990's, the former Hughes Aircraft hangars at Hughes Airport, including the one that held the Hercules, were converted into sound stages. Scenes from movies such as Titanic, What Women Want and End of Days have been filmed in the 315,000 ft² (29,000 m²) aircraft hangar where Howard Hughes created the flying boat. The hangar will be preserved as a structure eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Buildings in what is today the large light industry and housing development Playa Vista in suburban Los Angeles.

Specifications (H-4) ² Length: 218 ft 8 in (66.65 m) Wingspan: 320 ft 11 in (97.54 m) Height: 79 ft 4 in (24.18 m) Fuselage height: 30 ft (9.1 m) Loaded weight: 400,000 lb (180,000 kg) Powerplant: 8 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines, 4,000 hp (2,640 kW) each Propellers: four-bladed Hamilton Standard, prop, 1 per engine Propeller diameter: 17 ft 2 in (5.23 m) Performance (projected) Hughes H-4 Hercules Hughes H-4 Hercules Evergreen Aviation Museum The Hughes H-4 Hercules (also known as the “Spruce Goose“; registration NX37602) is a prototype strategic airlift flying boat designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company .

Intended as a transatlantic flight transport for use during World War II , it was not completed in time to be used in the war. The aircraft made only one brief flight on November 2, 1947, and the project never advanced beyond the single example produced. Built from wood because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminium and concerns about weight, it was nicknamed by critics the “Spruce Goose”, although it was made almost entirely of birch . [2] [3] The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built and has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in history. [4] It remains in good condition and is on display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon , United States. [5] Contents Design and development Size comparison between the H-4 and a Douglas DC-3 . In 1942, the U.S. War Department needed to transport war materiel and personnel to Britain. Allied shipping in the Atlantic Ocean was suffering heavy losses to German U-boats , so a requirement was issued for an aircraft that could cross the Atlantic with a large payload. Wartime priorities meant the aircraft could not be made of strategic materials (e.g., aluminum).

[6] The aircraft was the brainchild of Henry J. Kaiser , a leading Liberty ship builder. He teamed with aircraft designer Howard Hughes to create what would become the largest aircraft built at that time. It was designed to carry 150,000 pounds, 750 fully equipped troops or two 30-ton M4 Sherman tanks. [7] The original designation “HK-1″ reflected the Hughes and Kaiser collaboration. [8] The HK-1 contract was issued in 1942 as a development contract [9] and called for three aircraft to be constructed in two years for the war effort. [10] Seven configurations were considered, including twin-hull and single-hull designs with combinations of four, six, and eight wing-mounted engines. [11] The final design chosen was a behemoth, eclipsing any large transport then built. [9] [12] [N 1] It would be built mostly of wood to conserve metal (its elevators and rudder were fabric-covered [13] ), and was nicknamed the “Spruce Goose” (a name Hughes hated) or the Flying Lumberyard.

[14] While Kaiser had originated the “flying cargo ship” concept, he did not have an aeronautical background and deferred to Hughes and his designer, Glenn Odekirk . [12] Development dragged on, which frustrated Kaiser, who blamed delays partly on restrictions placed for the acquisition of strategic materials such as aluminum , and partly on Hughes’ insistence on “perfection”. [15] Construction of the first HK-1 took place 16 months after the receipt of the development contract. Kaiser then withdrew from the project. [14] [16] Rearward view of the Hercules H-4′s fuselage Hughes continued the program on his own under the designation “H-4 Hercules”, [N 2] signing a new government contract that now limited production to one example. Work proceeded slowly, and the H-4 was not completed until well after the war was over.

It was built by the Hughes Aircraft Company at Hughes Airport , location of present-day Playa Vista, Los Angeles , California, employing the plywood -and-resin “ Duramold ” process [13] [N 3] – a form of composite technology – for the laminated wood construction, which was considered a technological tour de force. [8] The specialized wood veneer was made by Roddis Manufacturing in Marshfield, Wisconsin . Hamilton Roddis had teams of young women ironing the (unusually thin) strong birch wood veneer before shipping to California. [17] A house moving company transported the airplane on streets to Pier E in Long Beach, California . They moved it in three large sections: the fuselage, each wing—and a fourth, smaller shipment with tail assembly parts and other smaller assemblies. After Hughes Aircraft completed final assembly, they erected a hangar around the flying boat, with a ramp to launch the H-4 into the harbor. [2] Howard Hughes was called to testify before the Senate War Investigating Committee in 1947 over the use of government funds for the aircraft.

During a Senate hearing on August 6, 1947 (the first of a series of appearances), Hughes said: The Hercules was a monumental undertaking. It is the largest aircraft ever built. It is over five stories tall with a wingspan longer than a football field. That’s more than a city block. Now, I put the sweat of my life into this thing. I have my reputation all rolled up in it and I have stated several times that if it’s a failure, I’ll probably leave this country and never come back. And I mean it. [18] [N 4] Operational history Hughes returned to California during a break in the Senate hearings to run taxi tests on the H-4. [13] On November 2, 1947, the taxi tests began with Hughes at the controls. His crew included Dave Grant as copilot, two flight engineers, Don Smith and Joe Petrali, 16 mechanics, and two other flight crew. The H-4 also carried seven invited guests from the press corps and an additional seven industry representatives. Thirty-six were on board.

[19] Four reporters left to file stories after the first two taxi runs while the remaining press stayed for the final test run of the day. [20] After picking up speed on the channel facing Cabrillo Beach the Hercules lifted off, remaining airborne at 70 ft (21 m) off the water at a speed of 135 miles per hour (217 km/h) for about one mile (1.6 km). [21] At this altitude the aircraft still experienced ground effect . [22] The brief flight proved to detractors that Hughes’ (now unneeded) masterpiece was flight-worthy—thus vindicating the use of government funds. [23] The Spruce Goose, however, never flew again. Its lifting capacity and ceiling were never tested. A full-time crew of 300 workers, all sworn to secrecy, maintained the aircraft in flying condition in a climate-controlled hangar. The company reduced the crew to 50 workers in 1962 and then disbanded it after Hughes’ death in 1976. [24] Display Hercules at Evergreen Aviation Museum .

A Douglas DC-3 has been parked beneath the H-4′s wing, to show the scale of the H-4. Hughes H-4 Hercules at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum In 1980, the Hercules was acquired by the Aero Club of Southern California, which put the aircraft on display in a large dome adjacent to the Queen Mary exhibit in Long Beach, California . In 1988, The Walt Disney Company acquired both attractions and the associated real estate. Disney informed the Aero Club of Southern California that it no longer wished to display the Hercules after its highly ambitious Port Disney was scrapped. After a long search for a suitable host, the Aero Club of Southern California arranged for the Hughes flying boat to be given to Evergreen Aviation Museum in exchange for payments and a percentage of the museum’s profits. [25] The aircraft was transported by barge , train, and truck to its current home in McMinnville, Oregon (about 40 miles (60 km) southwest of Portland ), where it was reassembled by Contractors Cargo Company and is currently on display.

The aircraft arrived in McMinnville on February 27, 1993, after a 138-day, 1,055-mile (1,698 km) trip from Long Beach. The dome is now used by Carnival Cruise Lines as its Long Beach terminal. By the mid-1990s, the former Hughes Aircraft hangars at Hughes Airport , including the one that held the Hercules, were converted into sound stages. Scenes from movies such as Titanic , What Women Want and End of Days have been filmed in the 315,000-square-foot (29,000 m2) aircraft hangar where Howard Hughes created the flying boat. The hangar will be preserved as a structure eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Buildings in what is today the large light industry and housing development in the Playa Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles. [26] The Western Museum of Flight in Torrance, California has a large collection of construction photographs and blueprints of the Hercules.

Specifications (H-4) Notes ^ Quote: “Kaiser announces the most monumental program in the history of aviation.” ^ The Hughes design was initially identified as the HFB-1 to signify “Hughes Flying Boat, First Design”. [13] ^ The Hughes Corporation had used the duramold process, which laminated plywood and resin into a lightweight but strong building material that could be shaped. ^ Hughes’ Senate Hearings testimony is now in the public domain. Citations ^ “World’s Biggest Plane Makes First Fright”. Popular Science . Bonnier Corporation. 151 (6): 92–93. December 1947. ISSN 0161-7370 . ^ a b Parker, Dana T. Building Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II, pp. 49–58, Cypress, CA, 2013. ISBN 978-0-9897906-0-4 [ Amazon-US | Amazon-UK ]. Den Ouden, Alex. “The aircraft designer Frederik (Frits) Koolhoven A gifted and prolific designer” .

Historical engineering and technology, industrial archaeology and history. ALEX DEN OUDEN EINDHOVEN – NEDERLAND. Retrieved 7 September 2015. Bibliography Francillon, René J. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920: Volume II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1990. ISBN 1-55750-550-0 [ Amazon-US | Amazon-UK ]. McDonald, John J. Howard Hughes and the Spruce Goose. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1981. ISBN 0-8306-2320-5 [ Amazon-US | Amazon-UK ]. Odekirk, Glenn E. Spruce Goose (Title inside cover: HK-1 Hercules: A Pictorial History of the Fantastic Hughes Flying Boat). Long Beach, California: Glenn E. Odekirk and Frank Alcantr, Inc., 1982. No ISBN. Parker, Dana T. Building Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II, Cypress, CA, 2013.

ISBN 978-0-9897906-0-4 [ Amazon-US | Amazon-UK ]. Winchester, Jim. “Hughes H-4 ‘Spruce Goose’.” Concept Aircraft: Prototypes, X-Planes and Experimental Aircraft. Kent, UK: Grange Books plc., 2005. ISBN 978-1-59223-480-6 [ Amazon-US | Amazon-UK ]. Further reading David, Peter. The Rocketeer: The Official Movie Adaptation. Burbank, California: W D Publications Inc., 1991. ISBN 1-56115-190-4 [ Amazon-US | Amazon-UK ]. Schwartz, Milton L.The Spruce Goose Commemorative Pictorial. Oakland, California: The Wrather Corporation by Mike Roberts Color Productions, 1983. Yenne, Bill. Seaplanes & Flying Boats: A Timeless Collection from Aviation’s Golden Age. New York: BCL Press, 2003. ISBN 1-932302-03-4 [ Amazon-US | Amazon-UK ].

The Hughes H-4 Hercules “Spruce Goose” – Aces Flying High An Aussie's travels to air shows, aviation museums and related events around the world, with a bit of aerospace history along the way! The Hughes H-4 Hercules “Spruce Goose” In July 2011 I took a journey to the town of McMinnville, Oregon, USA and the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum . Apart from having an excellent collection of military, civilian and space aircraft, the museum is home to the famous Hughes H-4 Hercules or as it is more commonly known the “Spruce Goose“. The Spruce Goose, Howard Hughes’ experimental wooden airplane, floats in Long Beach Harbor, Nov. 2, 1947 (source: LA Times) The idea for the aircraft was conceived in the early 1940’s by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser (a leading Liberty Ship builder during World War 2) but was designed and built in partnership by Howard Hughes (1905-1976) and his company Hughes Aircraft in Los Angeles, California. The H-4 was to become the largest flying boat ever built.

The Hughes H-4 under final construction at Long Beach California The H-4 was built by Hughes Aircraft to the requirements of a World War Two contract issued by the US government in 1942 to build a large transatlantic transport aircraft that would a) avoid the needs of sending war supplies by ship, which at that time were being sunk in numbers by German U-Boats and b) not use materials such as aluminium that were required for the war effort. So the aircraft is 95% made of wood, hence the somewhat sarcastic nickname of “Spruce Goose” given by its critics (ironically it was mainly built from Birch wood). Howard Hughes hated that nickname and I do not think anyone would have uttered it in his presence! Howard Hughes inside the H-4 (Life Magazine) The 1942 US government contract required 3 aircraft to be constructed for transport use within 3 years. The development process was going slowly and construction of the aircraft did not begin until 16 months after the contract was awarded. Progress was too slow for Kaiser who left the project in 1944 (he blamed the slow going on restrictions acquiring strategic materials to build the aircraft and Hughes insistence on it being perfect!).

Hughes continued on alone, signing a new government contract for just one aircraft. The aircraft was originally designated HK-1 for Hughes-Kaiser, but when Kaiser withdrew from the project it was redesignated the H-4 Hercules. The original plan for the aircraft was to have huge clam shell doors in the nose (not uncommon in large transport aircraft that were starting to be used during World War Two such as the Messerschmitt Me-323 Gigant in 1943 and those that followed the H-4 such as the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II in 1950). Hughes was worried though that in the event of an accident the mighty flying boat could well fill with water through those doors and sink. As such he re-designed it to have a solid nose and came up with a rather unique (and unusual) method to increase the buoyancy of the H-4 by filling the void spaces in the lower hull and wing floats with inflatable bladders and beach balls (the one pictured on its own was recovered from a wing float during the reassembly of the aircraft in Oregon in 2001)!

The interior view of the H-4 nose section (Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum – July 2011) To increase the buoyancy of the H-4 In case of an accident at sea the void spaces in the lower hull and wing floats were rather uniquely filled with inflatable bladders and beach balls! (Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum – July 2011) Unfortunately for Hughes by the time the prototype H-4 was built, the war was well and truly over and the aircraft was no longer required. The H-4 was one of a kind and only ever flew once. All for the cost of $2,500,000 (it was literally a huge undertaking to build an aircraft of that size)! Howard Hughes in the cockpit of the H-4 (Life Magazine) On November 2nd, 1947 with Howard Hughes as the pilot, he took the big bird up for an unannounced flight over the water at Long Beach, California. It was only for 1 mile (1.6km) at a height of about 70 feet (21 metres). A top speed of 135 mph /217 kmph was achieved during the short flight.

Hughes had proven a point to his detractors and the government that the H-4 could fly. It was then sadly put away in storage never to fly again. The one and only flight on November 2nd, 1947 Strangely despite the fact it never flew again, the H-4 was kept flight worthy in a climate controlled hangar at a cost of $1 million per year until Howard Hughes died in 1976 at the age of 70 (up to 300 people were employed to maintain it until the early 1960′s when this number was reduced to about 50 people)! He was a rich and eccentric man (one of the wealthiest in the world) and this was his baby which I guess he could never let go of. Never to fly again (Life Magazine) After the 1976 death of Howard Hughes the H-4 went through numerous hands and was on display in a domed hangar next to the Queen Mary at Long Beach, California from 1980 until the early 1990’s (owned by the Disney company from 1988).

A new owner was sought over a number of years until finally it was sold to Evergreen Aviation and was transported by sea to Portland, Oregon in early 1993 after 138 days at sea! The H-4 then had to sit in Portland for months until river water levels dropped enough to get the barge under bridges! Finally it was then on to McMinnville where the rebuild and restoration began. 1993 Transporting the H-4 in Oregon (Evergreen photos) The restoration of the H-4 was completed in 2001. This must have been a massive job, the building alone that holds it is huge (temporary hangars were used during the restoration)! Evergreen Aviation Museum Building with a Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum out the front (July 2011) The Hughes H-4 Hercules is a huge aircraft and still has the longest wing span of any aircraft to date (97.5 metres).

The Airbus A-380 , Boeing 747-8 (transport) and the massive Russian Antonov AN-225 Dream (a one-off aircraft that was built to transport the cancelled Russian communist era space shuttle Buran – a second An-225 was started but never completed) are all longer aircraft (the H-4 was 66.6 metres long, the A-380 is 73 metres, the 747-8 is 76.4 metres and the AN-225 84 metres long). Although the aircraft wasn’t a success, the H-4 design did influence these and other future large transport aircraft and the Hughes legacy still lives on in the skies of today. Giant planes comparison Standing beneath the “Spruce Goose” and walking around the airframe you can’t help but be in awe of the size of the flying boat. It is seriously one big aircraft!

Also having read so much over the years about Howard Hughes the business magnate, aviator, engineer and film maker (and his sordid sex life, eccentricities, fear of germs, paranoia, near fatal air crashes etc.) it was a real highlight to finally see the machine that was so much a part of his life. The H-4 dwarfs everything else in the museum (July 2011) 8 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines, 4,000 hp (2,640 kW) each (July 2011) Hughes H-4 Hercules (July 2011) You are also allowed to go inside the fuselage of the H-4 via a side door. Inside you can see from behind glass the large cargo area of the cavernous hull. As you can see in my photos, over the years modifications have been done to the fuselage such as the glass panels behind the cockpit to allow more light for people to view inside and access doors to facilitate touring of the aircraft.

You enter the Hughes H-4 Hercules via those doors just below the wing (July 2011) The cargo area of the massive H-4 (July 2011) Inside the H-4 during construction (Life Magazine) Inside the H-4 they have the flight log book on display. It has only one entry recorded of course! The H-4 flight log book (July 2011) For a fee you can go up into the cockpit and have a photo taken (in a Howard Hughes like pose), for a higher fee you can get a tour of the cockpit and crew area, and take your own photos. I was lucky enough to get up there to take some photos of my own and also get to go into the crew area, view the radio operation and flight engineer control stations, and see inside the wings which were big enough for someone to stand up straight in! Fascinating stuff! H-4 cockpit (July 2011) Hughes H-4 Hercules - YouTube Hughes H-4 Hercules Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading...

Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jul 23, 2014 The Hughes H-4 Hercules (also known as the "Spruce Goose"; registration NX37602) is a prototype heavy transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended as a transatlantic transport for use during World War II, it was not completed in time to be of use. The aircraft made only one brief flight on November 2, 1947, and the project never advanced beyond the single example produced. Built from wood because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum and concerns about weight, its critics nicknamed it the "Spruce Goose", despite it being made almost entirely of birch rather than spruce. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built and has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in history. It is on display, and remains in good condition at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, USA. This video is targeted to blind users.

Attribution: Article text available under CC-BY-SA Creative Commons image source in video Category Hughes H-4 Hercules | Model Aircraft Kits | hobbyDB Hughes H-4 Hercules Howard Hughes The Hughes H-4 Hercules (also known as the "Spruce Goose"; registration NX37602) is a prototype heavy strategic airlift military transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company . Intended as a transatlantic flight transport for use during World War II , it was not completed in time to be of use. The aircraft made only one brief flight on November 2, 1947, and the project never advanced beyond the single example produced. Built from wood because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminium and concerns about weight, it was nicknamed by critics the "Spruce Goose", although it was made almost entirely of birch . The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built and has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in history. It is on display, and remains in good condition at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon , USA . External Links

Question: Designed by Howard Hughes, the Hughes H-4 Hercules aircraft, only of which was produced, in 1947, was known by what nickname?
Answer: The Spruce Goose